Beloved Liholiho Yacht Club Reopens Original Nob Hill location

A beautiful Liholiho Yacht Club spread – photo by Rasami Storm

For the past 2 years, Liholiho has been operating as a pop-up out of their 18th Street location (previously Dear Igna which had been shut down for a ffew months). At the time, the temporary move made a lot of sense since Nob Hill’s restaurant scene was much quieter than The Mission during the pandemic and consolidating spaces was a good business move. Since January, the 18th Street location has been home to their sister restaurant Good Good Culture Club which recently was added to the prestigious Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand. 

Liholiho saw the change as an opportunity to change things up by developing a core set of values that have an emphasis on creating positive change for their staff and hopefully in the future the restaurant industry.

“More than anything else, we have learned to reset, reexamine, and, most importantly, take care of one another through a lens of kindness and care,” says Liholiho.

Photo by Rasami Storm

The heart of Liholiho starts with family and true partnership. The restaurant partners include husband and wife duo chef Kapur and his wife Alice Storm along with long-time business partner Jeff Hanak. Their drive to provide a workplace centered in core values also supports the Staff is also considered family and many of their dishes are influenced by ideas brought by others in the kitchen.

No one could have predicted that the restaurant wouldn’t move back to its original space for such a long time. When the time finally came, it felt like another sign that things are finally settling back to normal.

The Fried Game Hen – photo by Rasami Storm

Visiting the revamped Liholiho Yacht Club Nob Hill Location

Last week, I booked a reservation and happily found a coveted 7 pm spot for my friend and I to treat ourselves to delicious food. Entering into the restaurant, the interior contemporary, fresh and light. A gorgeous geometric floor greets you at the door and an open kitchen shows a collaborative environment.

The updated interior of Liholiho is contemporary, bright and inviting – photo by Rasami Storm

On the menu, you’ll see some of the beloved Liholiho classics such as the Liholiho Yacht Club Kimchi Fried Rice. New to the menu is the Swordfish Katsu. Our server was kind and friendly – they explained that the menu is designed for sharing. The way I would organize the menu is simple: appetizers like the Tuna Poke or Poppy Seed Steamed Bun with homemade spam are meant for one person each. The top middle of the menu includes what I would call “side dishes” which compliment the main dish or “Cherry Cuts”.

The Poppy Seed Steamed Bun – photo by Rasami Storm

I had heard that the cocktails at Liholiho are to die for but I drove from Oakland and it was raining out so I ended up getting a mock-tail, the Guava Tonic. Although I saw a slew of cocktails I would have enjoyed, I was so glad that I picked the tonic because thought out the meal it was a really nice flavor balance to the savory dishes we had. 

The Swordfish Katsu – photo by Rasami Storm

My friend and I chose to split two of the apps (tuna poke and the steamed bun) which worked out OK for us but I did long for the other half quickly after because they were so flavorful and tasty. For our “side dish” we had the delightfully fall-forward squash dish, Delicata+Kabocha. 

My favorite component of this dish were the butter beans.  These salty and crunchy beans were delicate and made me smile. I leaned over to my friend and said, “they really need to package these to-go… maybe in those carnival bags you typically see popcorn in. I wanna sit and eat these for hours.”

The Rib Eye – photo by Rasami Storm

Our main dish was the Rib Eye. It comes pre-cut and perfectly cooked in a rich umami sauce with perfectly cooked carrots on top. On the side you are given a couple sides to add to your bites including hot mustard with sesame. It also comes with a side of radishes with a lovely spicy peanut sauce and mint.

The radish with mint cuts the richness of the rib eye and brings in bright flavors that surprise and delight you with each bite. The mustard and black sesame bring a nutty flavor with the right balance of vinegar. This dish may go down in history as my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten. It was all of the things you look for in a dish – hardy, rich, complex, comforting, and a portion perfect for sharing.

The delicious Banana Cream Tart – photo by Rasami Storm

We almost skipped dessert because my friend and I were so full that our bellies were warm and happy. Didn’t take much convincing but my friend made sure we ordered the Banana Cream Tart. The banana is a custardy texture and on top you’ll find sesame tuile – which is basically like a very thin sesame brittle. It tastes a lot like peanut brittle. This was another item I wished I could have ordered a whole bag of to take home. The salty crunch of the sesame tuile paired with the sweet banana was the perfect ending to a wonderfully delicious meal.

The kimchi fried rice dish is the perfect side – photo by Rasami Storm

Lastly, we did order the Kimchi Fried Rice to go. Co-owner Alice Storm gave me a pro-tip to grab this dish to enjoy for breakfast the next day. I definitely did take her advice, added an egg and some chili oil and was in absolute comfort food heaven.

To sum up my experience, I would say that Liholiho is a beautifully nurturing restaurant. Both in the way they treat their employees but the way their food makes you feel with each bite. Maybe to be expected, the flavors and presentation of their dishes is all very elevated and well thought out. There is a level of perfectionism in each dish. However, I think what I felt the most of when enjoying their food was how comforting it was.

Photo by Rasami Storm

Chef Kapur and his team have somehow been able to bring in the feeling of family in their dishes. This could be because the flavor profiles of each dish comes from family roots but I think there’s more to it than that. 

You see the smiles of the people next you, people sharing dishes family style in a family run restaurant and you can’t help but smile yourself. I overheard one person going on and on about how happy he was to see the restaurant open again and how he was excited to order all his favorites. There is an overflowing positive energy in the space right now that is palpable. It comes through in the food and in the atmosphere that surrounds you. 

Liholiho’s reopened Nob Hill location is a must-visit. If you can’t grab a reservation, walk-ins are welcome.
Address: 871 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 
To read more about Liholiho’s is values statement, peep the menu, and make reservations visit their website: lycsf.com

Photo by Rasami Storm

————————
It has been reported recently that Dear Igna’s co-owner, Chef David Golovin, has since died at the young age of 41. Chef Golvin opened Dear Igna in partnership with Chef Kapur and Jeff Hanak. Our condolences go to all of Chef Golvin’s friends and family.